[F2-SP] A Time To Hunt - Bagging up those Wintery Flakes, Begining Again pt 4 - COMPLETE!

[Brax 0]

     As Brax walked through the creaking door, he felt a certain amount of satisfaction at the fact that he had finally made it to his destination.  He was about to embark on his exploration of the castle ruins he had seen so long ago, it seemed to him.  The structure's secrets had finally opened to him, allowing the chance to find out what he was made of and what treasures he might find.  It was a warm feeling that flowed into him, though he logically knew that it was simply a more intense reaction to his satisfaction, rather than a new feeling he was in the process of discovering, which partially subdued what he was swept up in.  Nevertheless, he was here, and would make the most of it.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45927

Spoiler

BD 6 +3 ACC LD 15 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 48/48 EN 1/12

Bandit 1 -1/33 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 2 -1/33 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 3 -1/33 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 4 -1/33 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     The first thing he saw upon entering was a welcoming party of bandits, eager for battle and blood.  They noticed him right away, and charged at Brax with weapons held high.  He blocked their attacks easily, too easily.  He was stronger for some reason, and in a rare moment showed his surprise before the sensation left him quickly.  How had he become stronger all of a sudden, he wondered?  He pushed off one of the bandits with his shoulder, hoping to clear some space to set his axe to the right for his Lumberjack, but the Cardinal had different plans.  Just as he pushed the bandit away, he felt the system take hold, moving him automatically to swipe twice, both sweeping blows hitting every one of the bandits easily.  As they dissolved into pixels, he wondered what he had just done as his axehead's green glow, the glow of his Sword Arts, faded away.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

+660 col

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45930

LD 2

     Bringing up his status menu, Brax looked through it and confirmed his suspicions: it seemed he had leveled up, his Sword Arts automatically taking his points to the next level.  He now had access to the level 3 Arts, which included one known as Trample Act, which conveniently started when you aimed your shoulder at the enemy in combat and connected with the blow.  "Fascinating," said Brax aloud, voicing his intrigue at the situation.  It seemed that he had grown in strength without even realizing it.  Picking through the remains of the bandits gear, Brax found nothing else to collect but what had already made it into his inventory.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     'These bandits were much better armored than the ones outside,' he thought to himself as he finished up with their remains.  'Though, that did not seem to give them much protection, given that my Trample Act still cut them down easily.'  His level up had come just in time, it seemed, as he had automatically expected the foes inside the keep to at least prove somewhat of a challenge to his skills.  It would not have done well to come all this way and not be able to have the situation hold his interest.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The area he found himself in was quite large, much larger than he was expecting given the look of the building from outside.  It was a walkway of grand proportions, meant for entertaining dignitaries and delegates the world over.  A frayed and damaged rug, deep red and trimmed in gold, lay beneath his feet now stained with blood in places by the bandit's deaths.  Broken picture frames lined the walls, remnants of the inhabitant's portraits hanging desecrated inside.  Dusty suits of armor stood guard, polearms in hand ready for a battle long since over.  Two doors branched off the spacious room, with a wide staircase leading to a second floor.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46051

Spoiler

BD 6 +3 ACC LD 2 MoBD 10 -1 EVA N/A

Brax 28/48 [6 + 2crit - 3 MIT] x 4 = 20 DMG EN 1/12

Bandit 1 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 2 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 3 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 4 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     Before he could choose which direction he wanted to explore first, another group of roving bandit guards rushed into the foyer.  'They must have heard the noise of the previous battle,' Brax thought, and he readied himself for combat.  They swung their swords and axes while Brax in his strength, thought himself able to take them all with nary a scratch.  They proved him abysmally wrong, his armor and arms clanging loudly with their powerful blows.  He felt the attacks jar him deep within and, realizing that he had made a mistake, engaged his Trample Act once more, a shoulder barge first to start the move.  He charged one of the nearest bandits, his pauldrons connecting solidly, and the system brought his axe to bear in concert, the wide sweeping motions catching the rest with awesome power.  They all flew back, disintegrating into a shower of pixels upon death.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     His mistake had cost him dearly, his belief in his indomitable strength almost ruining him.  Brax might have gotten stronger, but he still had much to learn about the world of Aincrad, and learn it he would.  After the battle, he looked to the three exits from his current location: up, left, or right.  Logically, the higher up he went, the more chances for treasure he would find.  But, the need to completely search the area dominated his attention.  His choice was obvious: he chose the door on the right, opening the creaking portal and stepping through.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The next room was quite lovely, as well, if Brax was able to truly appreciate the beauty of a place with his lack of emotions.  He might have been able to think the symmetry was enough to be appealing, or the way the light caught a gemstone in the sun aesthetically pleasing, but he himself could feel nothing of the true sense of beauty that went into the design of many places here in this virtual world.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     It was a dining room of sorts, metal plates and goblets adorning the long table that stood in the center and drawing most of the area's focus.  The walls also had picture frames, though most of them were as damaged, if not moreso, than the ones in the foyer.  Most of the gold inlaid in the frames had been stolen, leaving only broken wood behind, splinters littering the floor as the only evidence of what had happened.  The chairs at the table were ripped of their upholstery, possibly in search of any treasures kept inside, though why anyone would keep gold in a cushion was beyond Brax.  A fireplace stood unused on one side, the remains of a fire still glowing from...well, he didn't know.  Brax wondered at the sight until he turned to look at the other end of the room.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46052

Spoiler

BD 5 +3 ACC LD 5 MoBD  2 -1 EVA

Brax 31/48 EN 1/12

Bandit 1 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 2 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 3 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 4 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

    There was another group of Bandits standing guard at the edge of the room, overseeing the door to the next area.  'They must have been the ones to set the fire, keeping warm in the cold, drafty castle,' Brax thought silently, not wanting to draw their attention.  He tried to walk swiftly and quietly so as to not announce his presence, but as he drew closer a plate, precariously perched on the table, fell to the ground with a loud 'CLANG!!!', to which to bandits turned their attention and spotting the adventurer, they roared their unintelligible speak and charged.  The Epitaph on his wrist flashed brightly, his grace bolstered by it's power, and Brax was able to dodge their attacks with ease, throwing his shoulderguards into the last enemy and activating his Trample Act yet again, knocking the bandit to the floor and sweeping his axe through the remaining ones with great power.  Soon, only their pixels remained, evidence of the battle that concluded with victory.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The battle over, Brax found a key amongst the loot that dropped from the bandits.  He picked it up and examined it closely, looking at the door they guarded with interest.  The door did not possess a lock, so the key did not go there, but perhaps there was a locked door or chest elsewhere in the castle that he would be able to enter if he took it with him, so opening up his inventory, he placed it inside and went to open the door, ready for the next room and whatever lay ahead.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     It was a kitchen.  The next room was a kitchen.  Nothing special, just....a kitchen.  'Why on earth would the bandits be guarding a...kitchen?  Of all the places a guard could be posted, why a kitchen?'  Brax felt his frustration return, it made very little sense.  What could possibly be so important as to require a four man bandit team to stand watch over their foodstuffs?  He grasped his furrowed brow with an armored hand, the power of the Gauntlet's of Sir Render massaging his temples and forehead to ease the headache forming due to the thoughts swirling in his brain.  There was nothing of note in the area, so he closed to door and made his way back to the foyer, looking to step through the other door in search of something else, anything else to banish the ache in his head.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The foyer was just as he had left it, the same carpets, picture frames, armored husks standing watch.  He briefly considered the fact that there were guards behind the door, and that they might be waiting for him to walk in, in order to ambush the intruder as he was unable to believe that after killing several bandit mobs throughout the first floor he had not drawn the attention of whosoever called this castle their home, their hideout.  With that in mind, he stood off to the side of the door, reaching over to open it towards him, so as to lead the enemies on the other side to believe that he was not yet there, to ambush them himself.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46053

Spoiler

BD 3 +3 ACC LD 6 MoBD 3 -1 EVA

Brax 34/48 EN 1/12

Bandit 1 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 2 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 3 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 4 -4/30 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     It actually worked, four more bandits poured through the opening in concert, aggressive postures taken and weapons held high in pursuit of the man who dared challenge them in their place of refuge.  They looked around in confusion, looking for their prey that must have opened the door.  As they gathered together in the middle of the room, Brax struck hard, his shoulder barrage knocking one of them back as his Trample Act mowed them all down, two final sweeps of his axe cleaving their lives from them effortlessly.  Afterwards, he wiped the remains of the battle off his weapon and made his way through the door.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The next area was a ballroom of sorts, hardwood floors relatively untouched by the passage of time.  The light sheen of wax still glistened faintly, reflecting the sun through cracks in the walls.  More ravaged frames dotted the walls as well, with several damaged and overturned couches strewn about in disarray.  Brax saw tables hacked to pieces, wooden boards littering the ground and obscuring the hardwood, and the remains of a phonograph in a far corner, it's musical ramblings silenced forever.  It seemed...rather anachronistic to have a phonograph here, though he would be the first to admit that it fit the architectural design, but given the role of crystals and sound recordings in Aincrad, it seemed a poor fit.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Nothing stood out to him from the rubble, so Brax carefully picked his way across the room.  His armored boots crunched over the wood planks with every step, the air hanging heavy with dust and age.  Not many souls had come to this old, broken down ruin, only the bandits that resided here in search of treasure and safety.  For a moment, Brax was reminded of some stories he had read on King Arthur's Court, his memory flashing to the festivities they would engage in on occasion, and imagined what the place would have looked like filled with wild partygoers engaged in hedonistic debauchery, at least debauched by their standards.  Dancing, singing, wine and women, cavorting about in celebration of victory or just in need of merriment.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He shook his head to relieve himself of the fantasy, drawing his attention back to the here and now.  Traversing the long room, he noticed another posting of guards at the end next to another door, hopefully with something much more valuable behind it as opposed to what he had found waiting in the 'kitchen'.  He began to charge, drawing forth his axe and readying himself for battle.  He would quickly dispatch the guards and make known the mysteries behind 'Door #2'.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46054

Spoiler

BD 9 +3 ACC LD 14 MoBD 6 -1 EVA

Brax 37/48 EN 1/12

Bandit 1 0/38 DEAD [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 10 MIT] = 38 DMG

Bandit 2 0/38 DEAD [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 10 MIT] = 38 DMG

Bandit 3 0/38 DEAD [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 10 MIT] = 38 DMG

Bandit 4 0/38 DEAD [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 10 MIT] = 38 DMG

     The bandits had little time to prepare as Brax strode into their ranks.  They threw their weapons at him in an attempt to slow his progress, perhaps giving themselves enough time to draw additional blades to attack him much more cautiously.  Brax would not be deterred, however, and he bullrushed their ranks with fervor and power.  His lowered shoulder made contact with one, and that contact engaged his Trample Act immediately.  As the bandit flew back into it's compatriots, his Battle-axe swept out in deadly fashion, two arching swipes catching all the guards in it's attack and ending their existence.  He gathered up the loot they had dropped, turning his attention now to the door they watched.

+4 material

+4 snowflakes

+760 col

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     It did not seem to be locked, which meant the key he possessed did not apply.  Opening it, he looked inside to find a storage room, replete with several barrels and crates filled with goods to feed a hungry bandit gang.  No dust on the floor and crates led Brax to believe the stuff inside was spoils of conquest, things stolen by the bandits during their raids throughout the floor.  But, upon examination, he found nothing that he could take with him, which meant that instead of being stolen goods, these items were placed here to simply decorate the hideout with pretty pictures.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     It was slightly frustrating to find that there would be no treasure to be found on the first level of this broad expanse of a 'dungeon', nothing that would satisfy a wandering adventurer in search of treasure and challenges.  He saw another door off to the left, and strode through it to find another hallway, deep and dark and foreboding in it's appearance.  But when he reached the end and opened up the closed door that completed the corridor, he found that it only led to the kitchen previously guarded by the bandits with the key.  So, he had come full circle. 

Edited January 19, 2016 by Brax